In this episode of The Digital Drop Podcast, host Nej Gakenyi sits down with Adrian Goddard, Commercial Director at the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP), to explore why listening to junior voices isn’t just good leadership — it’s smart business.

From turning a junior marketing idea into one of CIPP’s most successful conference moments, to building a culture of honest feedback and skip-level conversations, Adrian shares practical insights on how bottom-up innovation can transform organisations of any size.

• Why senior leaders must stay close to the frontline
• How skip-level meetings unlock honest feedback
• Creating space for quieter voices to be heard
• Managing culture during scale-up — and spotting misalignment early
• The difference between leadership and management (and why not everyone can do both)
• Why personality traits matter as much as qualifications in leadership success

Whether you lead a team of five or five hundred, this episode offers honest, practical leadership insights for today’s fast-moving workplaces.

00:00 – Introduction
03:12 – Adrian’s role at CIPP & the value of junior insight
06:30 – The story behind CIPP’s ‘Ace Fest’
11:05 – Why many leaders struggle to listen down the ladder
15:20 – Creating space for quieter voices
20:40 – Does your culture invite honesty — or silence?
27:10 – Leading with curiosity and self-awareness
32:15 – Leaders vs managers — what’s the difference?
37:30 – When new hires build (or break) culture
41:00 – The three Cs of Adrian’s leadership style
44:50 – Measuring whether your culture truly listens
50:20 – Final takeaways for modern leaders

Connect with Adrian Goddard on LinkedIn
Learn more about CIPP: https://www.cipp.org.uk/

🔍 In this episode, we explore:🕒 Episode Chapters🔗 Links

In this episode of The Digital Drop Podcast, we’re joined by Katherine Bunting, CPD strategist and expert in professional development across the membership sector.

We unpack why Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is one of the most overlooked levers for member engagement, retention, and revenue growth in 2025—and how to get it right without blowing your budget.

From hybrid delivery models and gamification to sector-specific learning and peer-led content, Katherine shares actionable advice for every size of organisation.

Whether you're launching your first CPD offer or struggling to increase engagement, this episode is your practical guide to building a CPD strategy that actually works.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Why CPD is more relevant than ever
02:17 – Katherine’s journey from drama to development
05:00 – What CPD really is & why it matters
08:40 – The link between CPD, retention & value
12:35 – Why members don’t engage (and how to fix it)
20:15 – Tailoring CPD for early, mid & late-career members
28:50 – Online vs in-person: Hybrid delivery that works
34:20 – Maintaining CPD credibility & quality
39:30 – Gamification, automation & smarter delivery
44:00 – How to launch CPD from scratch
51:10 – Partnering, scaling & staying relevant
54:05 – Katherine’s 3 tips for CPD success
57:45 – Final thoughts & where to connect

🔗 Connect with Katherine: linkedin.com/in/katherine-bunting-cmgr-fcmi-49963b75

In this episode of The Digital Drop Podcast, Sarah Alder joins us to explore how membership organisations can boost engagement without heavy budgets or tech overload. From email open rates to event attendance, Sarah shares practical, low-cost strategies that drive real results.

We cover everything from breaking internal silos and improving onboarding to segmenting by member lifecycle and measuring what truly matters.

If you're heading into the weekend asking, “Why aren’t our engagement efforts working?” — this is your AHA moment.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
03:05 – What makes the membership sector unique
07:45 – Vanity metrics vs. real engagement
14:50 – Breaking silos & improving collaboration
21:10 – Why most orgs don’t know their members
27:40 – Low-tech ways to measure success
34:15 – Segmenting by journey stage
36:00 – Onboarding as your secret weapon
48:20 – Upskilling & unlocking internal value
56:55 – Sarah’s 3 engagement tips for 2025
59:30 – Final thoughts

🔗 Connect with Sarah: linkedin.com/in/sarahalder